Propane Gas Stoves

           

Normally in a garage we would think we would find a parked vehicle, hardware and hardware tools, housing exteriors, and maybe some bicycles and of that sort. This is not the case, if you are Hmong. What exactly do we find in a Hmong person’s garage? A milestone of propane gas stoves.

Hmong people are defined by how many propane gas stoves they own. Normally the average Whiteman may own just one propane gas stove mainly used for family camping and recreational purposes.

However the Hmong people’s ideal of propane gas stove are a lot different. Propane gas stoves are used for mass social gathering such as traditional rituals and celebrations. These mass social gatherings can be anywhere from 50 to 200 people and occur every other week. Occasionally, the Hmong people would notice, “OMG! What have we done to our precious kitchen stoves?” Then Mr. Propane Gas Stove would swoop in with his cape and say, “Looks like somebody could use a hand,” in a very heroic manner. The Hmong people would praise and idolize Mr. Propane Gas Stove. Now the Hmong people could steam their rice; boil their chicken, pork, and beef; and fry their eggrolls for everyone without having to destroy their kitchen stoves.

Propane gas stove didn’t just make it easier for Hmong people to cook for mass social gatherings; propane gas stove also solved the problem of the stink that would permeate the rest of the house. Propane gas stove can be used in the basement, garage, or anywhere outside (InformeDesign).

In theory: the number of propane gas stoves owned equals how much Hmong an individual is.

# of propane gas stove own	Hmong Meter
0-1	Not a Hmong
2-3	Probably a Hmong
4-5	Absolutely a Hmong

The table shows the relationship of the theory mentioned above. Most Hmong people own 2-3 propane gas stoves which definitely correlate to the Hmong Meter quite well.

If you ever wonder if someone is Hmong, ask how many propane gas stoves that person owns. Or simply have a peek in that person’s garage and use the Hmong Meter to determine if that person is Hmong.